If the Milwaukee Bucks have been consistent about anything this season, it's been inconsistency. They've strung together strong performances and won and then turned around and churned out a clunker — or two, or three, or four.

Their offensive attack can be virtually unstoppable or stagnant, with open shots clanking off the rim. Defensively, the Bucks haven't definitively settled on who they want to be as they've struggled to a bottom 10 defensive rating in the NBA.

Milwaukee's negative traits outshone its positives over its past two games, which resulted in losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls — two teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with little in the way of playoff aspirations.

Coming off those two defeats the Bucks' road gets harder as they begin a seven-game stretch against playoff-caliber teams, beginning with Thursday's 7 p.m. game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (22-13) at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

“We can’t let down against anyone, no matter who we’re playing," head coach Jason Kidd said. "We have to be hungry and execute and we have no room for error going into this next seven.”

The seven games include a pair of home-road back-to-backs, two games against Toronto Raptors (23-10), two against the Indiana Pacers (19-16), a visit to the Washington Wizards (19-16) and a second matchup with the surging Oklahoma City Thunder (20-15) in Oklahoma on Friday.

Changing the team's collective mindset was a focus of Wednesday's practice, the Bucks' first in nearly a week due to the Christmas holiday and game schedule.

"The first part of changing the mentality is addressing that there is an issue, and that issue was addressed today," guard Jason Terry said. “What we’re trying to do now is change the mentality of who’s a tough team and who’s not because it does not matter for us. It’s more about how we approach each game and are we living up to our standards that we have set out since training camp.

"Inconsistently, we’ve been doing it all season. Now, this time of year before the all-star break comes, we have set out a goal to be as consistent of a team as we can regardless of our opponent.”

As has been a theme this season, the Bucks recognize they need to improve defensively. Over their past seven games, the Bucks have gone just 2-5 while struggling to curtail drives, communicate effectively or get stops, especially late in games.

More often than not during this stretch opposing teams have been able to exploit holes or lapses in Milwaukee's scheme to get crucial baskets when needed. In the two wins, the Bucks weren't much better, with Cleveland erasing a 20-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a span of minutes and Charlotte holding the upper hand until guard Kemba Walker went down late with an injury.

“If we play like we did (Tuesday) we’re not going to have a chance," Khris Middleton said. "We have to play hard, we have to execute our stuff, we have to defend. We haven’t defended the last two games. ...

“Just not consistent, not talking to each other at times, just not putting in the effort sometimes. Rebounding’s been a problem. It’s not just on one guy, it’s on everybody.”

While there are issues to be ironed out, the Bucks aren't panicking. They're no strangers to being an up-and-down team and believe they still have their goals ahead of them. At 17-15, they're still in the thick of the playoff race with more than half the season to go. With most of the team back from a year ago, they can also look back to their recent history of rising to tough challenges, including going 14-4 last March to surge into the playoff picture.

"We've gotta do a better job of playing harder, being consistent every night," center John Henson said. "Even last year, we didn't go on our run until February/March, there's still time. ... If you guys look at past history, we tend to do well in those games (against teams with better records). It's about playing every night and playing up to the level of the competition."

In Terry's estimation, reaching the level of consistency emphasized at Wednesday's practice will come down to mental toughness. In the midst of the holidays and the all-star break a month and a half away, players can lose focus or get run down.

Surviving the upcoming difficult stretch will come down to solving multiple issues at both ends of the court. But maintaining focus and gaining some consistency will play key roles as well as the Bucks try to remain afloat as they see how they stack up against some of the stronger teams in the league over the next seven games and during the grind toward the all-star break.

"This is what they call the dog days, the dog days of the NBA season," Terry said. "And it’s the mentally tough teams, the veteran, playoff teams, that are the ones that push through and come out of here with an above .500 record.”

New uniforms: The Bucks unveiled their "Cream City" inspired cream-colored uniforms on Wednesday. They'll wear the alternate look 13 times this season — seven on the road and six at home — beginning on Jan. 28 in Chicago. They'll make their home debut the next day against the Philadelphia 76ers.